Apparatus for preparing tanning liquors.



J. FORSTBB. APPARATUS r011 PREPARING Tmnme LIQUOBB.

urudnion nnnn 11 11.20, 1911.

Patented Ailg. 18, 1914.

" through the other pits 0 aosnrn-"ronsrnn, or whnnrxerox, "sue Lam).

fnrrmrus FOB rrmranme TANNING, 1.1mm.

To all whom it may concern: r A Be it known that I, J osnrn Foasrhn, a subject of the King of Great Britain'and Ire-' land, and a resident of Warringtoru'in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ap aratus for Preparing Tanning Liquors, o the following is a speclfication.

This invention rglelates to apparatus for re arin tannin i uors. P A l has bef'ore b eendmown andis at'pr'es-- ent usual the liquor is prepared in a series of tanks or its, the fresh tanning material being first pFaced in oneof the end tanks of the seriesandthen being assed successively the series to the which other end one from which it is removed inan exhausted condition. Water is added to this last it'and passes through the series of pits to t e one to which the fresh tanning f material is first added. The liquid and the tanning material thus pass in opposite directions t rough'thc pits ing into contact with material which is about exhausted and comin into contact with progressively stronger dhar es until it has its highest strength 1n the p1t in which the tanning material is first placed. In carrying this invention into effect the liquor and the tanning material likewise pass in opposlte directions through a series 0 leaching pits but each pit has a perforated or like cage to contain the tanning material which is to be leached. Each such cage is. immersed or partlyimmersed in the liquid of its pit and is movable, as, for example, by being hin ed, so that when desired it can be moved to ischarge its contents into the cage of the pit next to it toward the water supply end of the series of pits. The cages may be kept .contiuuously agitated by suitable means.

Each pit ma be higher than the next pit which is farther from the water supply end of the series and-be arranged to continuously or intermittently overflow into such pit, the liquor beingpreferably drawn from the bottom of each pit and discharged into the upper part of the next pit through the overfiowplpes D.

' In the accompanymg drawings Figure 1 is .a-vertical longitudinal section of a series of pits and associated parts embodyingthe features of my invention; Fig. 2 we seetional detail of the perforations in the cage; and Fig. -3 is a detail showin the manner in which the cages are agitate I .lpplication nied-a ru aa'ieu. serial no. 824,028.

the liquid first .com-

specu a n 1 Letters t t I Patented-Aug. 18, 1914.

i There may be any required number of pits to form av series. Seven (1 to 7) are em- :ployed in the illustration. In each is a cage i0 in which the tanning material is placed and in which such material'is acted on by the-liquid in the pit. Each cage is so dis- ;posedthat its-lower part is immersed in a liquid and it is so formed that it can be moved to transfer its contents to the cage in the next higher pit. The fresh tanning material to be leached is first placed in thecage O of the lowest leaching p1t 7 and as the ex- ;traction ofits contents proceeds it is transferred from cage to cage 0 throughout the ascending series of pits 7 to l' until it is 'finallyl treated and exhausted in the cage 0 of pit 1 from which it is thrown out in the "spent condition. The fresh water is added to pit No. l and as it-passes down through pits l to 7 it progressively meets, as it becomes stronger and stronger, tanning ma:

terial which is less endless exhausted, until itfbecomes its strongest-in pit 7.

- In the drawing the cage in pit 7 is shown as being lifted to discharge its contents into the next higher cage, wihich next higher cage has been previously discharged into the one still higher.

To assist in the leaching the cages C may be agitated. This may conveniently be accomplished by raisin and lowerin their lifting edges or sides for a distance 0 a few inches. One form of a device for accom-. plishing this result is shown in Fig. 3 and consists of books E which are fastened to the free edges of'the cages andride upon the cams F secured to rotating shaft G extending across the pits, the shafts being driven in any desired manner (not shown). The form of agitating device shown is one of the well known forms of such devices and its specific construction constitutes no part of the present invention. To insure the proper How of liquid into the cages the perforations or the like therein may be wider on the outer faces of the cages than on the inner faces, so as to give bell or trumpet mouths to the per forations to insure the liquor freely enterin into such perforations as the cages fal (See Fig. 2.) Y In addition to the overflow ipes D in the leaching pits by means of which each pit automatically overflows into the next lower one, such pits may have pumps by means of which, when desired, the liquor may be transferred from any one pit to the next or leaching in that pit, each of said cages being any other higher 'pit of the series. The strong liquor from the end it may be supplied to the tan pits as desired. Such tan pits may also be at progressively lower levels so that the liquor may overflow from one to another in the manner described in connection with the leaching-pits.

What I claim is 1. Apparatus" for leaching tanning material, consisting of a series of adjoining pits disposed and arranged with successively lower liquid levels one way through the series, a source of leaching liquid supply to the pit havi the highest liquid level, an overflow pipe etween each of said pits and the next pit having a lower liquid level, and a hinged perforated cage ineach pit to hold and retain the tanning material during hinged along the divisionpline between said pit. and the next pit having a higher liquld level and arranged to directly transfer its material to thelikecage'in the next higher pit and to directly receive material from the like cage of the next lower pit, substantially as described. v i

Apparatus for leaching tanning material,-consistingrof aseries of adjo' pits disposed and arranged with successively r lower liquid" levels one" way th'rugh' the series, a source of leaching liquid supply to the pit having the'highest liquid'level, an overflow pipe between each pit and the next pit having a lower liquid' level, and a hinged perforated cage in each pit to hold and retain the tanning material during leaching in that pit, the perforations in such cage being bell mouthed, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. Apparatus for leaching tanning material, consisting of a series of pits disposed and arranged with successively lower liquid levels one Way through the series, a source of leaching liquid supply to the pit having the highest liquid level, an overflow pipe between each pit and the next pit having a lower liquid level, a hinged perforated cage in each pit to hold and retain the tannlng material during leaching in that pit, andmeans for agitating such cage, substantially as set forth.

' In witness whereof I have hereunto set.

@my hand in the presence of two subscribing 5 witnesses. I p v H E u JOSEPH FORS'IER. .Witnesses: WILLIA Gno. Hays,

- JOHN flCoNNnm. 

